Bridges That Babble On: 15 Amazing Roman Aqueducts

from WebUrbanist by Steve

[ By Steve in Abandoned Places, Architecture & Design, History & Factoids. ]


Aqueducts, those most triumphal examples of Roman arched architecture, have been displaying the engineering genius of the ancients for tens of centuries. These spectacular monuments not only spanned rivers and valleys to provide Roman cities with precious drinking water, aqueducts also spanned the length and breadth of Rome‘s far-flung empire. Here are 15 of the most noteworthy survivors.

The Park of the Aqueducts, Rome, Italy

(images via: University of St.Thomas, Insane, Montalbon and LA Times)

It’s been said that “all roads lead to Rome” but the same might be said abo
ut aqueducts. Ancient Rome had a population of just over 1 million and on hot summer days, it takes more than bread and circuses to cool off a public inflamed by a gladiatorial doubleheader at the Colosseum. During the Middle Ages, Rome’s population dropped to around 30,000 – due in no small part to water shortages caused by the decay of the Eternal City’s life-giving aqueducts. The remains of several of Rome’s largest aqueducts can be seen, up close and personal, at The Park of The Aqueducts.

(image via: Wikimedia)

A common theme of art’s Romantic Age was the decline and fall of Ancient Rome. Painters such as Thomas Cole sought to express the weight of history and the loss of wisdom embodied in the fall of Rome by painting the remnants of the Empire’s largest and most visible examples of monumental architecture, the aqueducts. Above is “Roman Campagna (Ruins of Aqueducts in the Campagna di Roma)”, painted by Cole in 1843.

Aqueduct of Segovia, Spain

(image via: Cinque Terre Liguria)

The Aqueduct of Segovia is one of the best-preserved Roman aqueducts in Spain. So well-built was the aqueduct and so studious its maintenance through the Middle Ages that it functioned as a viable water delivery system well into the 20th century.

(images via: Fotografias and Wikimedia)

The aqueduct features a total of 167 arches and the granite blocks used in its construction were assembled without the use of mortar.

(image via: Sacred Destinations)

The aqueduct was repaired in the year 1072 and again in the late 15th century on the orders of Spain’s ruling couple, Ferdinand and Isabella. At that time it was specified that the original visual style and construction techniques be followed to the letter. Currently undergoing repair and restoration, the Aqueduct of Segovia is a valued city and state cultural landmark that showcases the vast skill of Roman engineers nearly 2,000 years ago.

Eifel Aqueduct, Koln, Germany

(images via: D.E.A and Wikipedia)

The Eifel Aqueduct was built in 80 AD to provide the Roman city of Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium (today’s Cologne) with fresh water. The entire system stretched across 95 kilometers (59 miles) to tap springs in Germany’s Eifel region. Most of the aqueduct was built underground to minimize damage, vandalism (perhaps from actual Vandals) and freezing in winter.

(image via: Stephanie Klocke)

The few above-ground sections of the Eifel Aqueduct that remain show complex and skillful construction methods using brick and stone masonry that would not be matched in central Europe for many centuries. Curiously, medieval craftsmen would remove the calcium carbonate scale that accumulated in the inner walls of the aqueduct and reuse it as a sort of faux marble called Eifel Stone.

Pont d’Aël, Cogne, Italy

(images via: Postecode and Aymavilles)

The Pont d’Aël is a practical combination of an aqueduct and a bridge. Located near Aosta in northern Italy, the Pont d’Aël was part of a 6 km (3.7 mile) long aqueduct that brought water to the newly founded Roman farming colony of Augusta Prætoria Salassorum; today’s Aosta. The original structure dates from the year 3 BC and rises 66 meters (216.5 ft) above the Aosta Valley.

(image via: Dilia Splinder)

Unusually, the Pont d’Aël and its associated waterworks were not financed by the state; instead the venture was privately planned and funded by Caius Avillius Caimus, a wealthy citizen from the city of Patavium (Padua).

Plovdiv Aqueduct, Bulgaria

(image via: Structurae)

Founded by the ancient Macedonians and named Philippopolis, today’s Plovdiv, Bulgaria was renamed Trimontium by the Romans as a nod to the three main hills that dominate the city. The Balkans as a whole were a critically important part of the Roman Empire and the regions towns and cities often hosted garrisons of legionaries to ensure invaders would be rebuffed. Trimontium was no different, and aqueducts were used to provide a secure flow of fresh water that would not be disrupted should the city fall under siege. Little is left of Trimontium’s aqueduct but the short section that still stands displays a quite modern beauty highlighted by the pleasing use of red brick and white local stone.

Aqueduct of the Gier, Lyon, France

(images via: France-Voyage, Virtual Globetrotting and Giorgio Temporelli)

The Aqueduct of the Gier is one of the longest and most complex Roman aqueducts. Utilizing tunnels, covered concrete culverts and classic raised sections over a sinuous path that stretches over 85 km (52 miles). The aqueduct was built over a period of several years at least in the first century AD and brought water to the Roman city of Lugdunum; now Lyon in eastern France.

(image via: Wilke Schram)

The Romans were brilliant hydrological engineers and investigation of the inner workings of the Aqueduct of the Gier reveals the extensive use of soldered and pressurized lead pipes, holding tanks, siphons and manholes provided for maintenance.

Aqüeducte de les Ferreres, Tarragonna, Catalonia (Spain)

(image via: Xtec)

The Aqüeducte de les Ferreres (also known as Pont del Diable in Catalan and Devil’s Bridge in English) is a spectacular, 249 meter (817 ft) long aqueduct built around the year 0 in the reign of the first Roman emperor Augustus.
(images via: Academic.ru and Serrallenc)

The 27 meter (88.5 ft) high structure was built to bring fresh water to the Roman city of Tarraco, today Tarragona in Spain’s autonomous region of Catalonia. In the year 2000, UNESCO added the Aqüeducte de les Ferreres to its listing of World Heritage sites.

(image via: Cinque Terre Liguria)

Here’s a short video featuring the Aqüeducte de les Ferreres in all its glory:
Aqüeducte de les Ferreres (Tarraco), via Capellamarga

Valens Aqueduct (Bozdogan Kemeri), Istanbul, Turkey

(images via: New Istanbul Times and Guides of Istanbul)

The Valens Aqueduct, or Bozdogan in Turkish, was one of the main aqueducts supplying water to the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople. Such was the importance (and structural integrity) of this aqueduct that after the great city fell to Ottoman invaders in 1453, the occupiers repaired and maintained the aqueduct which today is a prominent part of Istanbul’s infrastructure. The aqueduct was built during the reign of Emperor Valens (364–378 AD) and was still functioning, albeit at a much-reduced capacity, into the early 18th century.

(image via: Achudinov)

During the 1940s, Istanbul city planners were faced with a conundrum when designing the route of Ataturk Boulevard, which would intersect with an existing segment of the Valens Aqueduct. Thankfully, a solution was found by which the boulevard passed under the aqueduct’s arches without disturbing its foundations. Subsequent repairs, cleaning and strengthening have ensured the underpass is safe for both citizenry and history.

Herod’s Aqueduct, Caesarea, Israel

(images via: Works For Christ, Inner Faith Travel, Teach All Nations and Vintage Posters)

The Roman port of Caesarea on Israel’s Mediterranean coast was a major center of administration during the early years of the 1st millennium – the only problem was it did not have a constant and reliable source of fresh water. The solution was to construct an aqueduct that brought fresh spring water from the slopes of Mount Carmel, 16 k (about 10 miles) away.

(image via: Corbis)

Called Herod’s Aqueduct after the Judean king who commissioned it, the structure features arched pillars typical of Roman-era construction but hugs the ground as the area’s terrain was mainly flat. The aqueduct also may appear somewhat squat; this is due to an expansion performed in the 2nd century AD that widened Herod’s original design to carry two parallel water channels and thus increase the aqueduct’s capacity.

Moria Aqueduct, Lesbos, Greece

(images via: Harald Voglhuber and Agni Travel)

The remains of the Roman aqueduct near Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos are striking in their combination of delicacy and strength. Architectural masters of the ancient world, the Romans perfected the structural arch to the point that many of their grandest monuments required no mortar to hold the stones together. The Moria Aqueduct was constructed mainly of locally quarried marble.

(image via: Los Chu-Chus)

The Moria Aqueduct supplied approximately 127,000 cubic meters (33,528,000 gallons) of fresh spring water per day to the Roman city of Mytilene. Precise inclination of the aqueduct’s water course over its original 22 km (13.7 mile) length ensured that water arrived at a slow and steady rate – as with all Roman aqueducts, an exceptional feat of hydrological engineering!

Aqueduct of Tyre, Lebanon

(images via: Virtual Tourist and Worship Excellence)

Tyre was founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC on an island just off the coast of today’s Lebanon. The city’s claim to fame in the ancient world was Tyrian Purple, a brilliant violet dye made from a certain species of snail. Long invulnerable to attack, the city was finally conquered by Alexander the Great and revived by the Romans. Most of the monumental architecture visible at Tyre today dates from the Roman period (2nd to 6th century AD).

(image via: Virtual Tourist)

An island city in the sea requires fresh water to support its population, and the remains of Tyre’s aqueduct can be seen running along its former main avenue which leads to a massive triumphal arch.

Diocletian’s Aqueduct, Split, Croatia

(images via: Skyscraper City, Andrew Petcher and All Empires)

Diocletian’s Aqueduct in what is the modern city of Split, Croatia, was one of the last large aqueducts built in the Roman Empire. Estimated to have been completed in the first few years of the 4th century AD, the aqueduct was 9 km (5.6 miles) long and brought fresh water from the Jaso river directly to the massive palatial complex in the center of the city of Spalatum where the Roman Emperor Diocletian lived after his retirement.

(image via: Snjezana Novak)

The best-preserved portion of Diocletian’s Aqueduct can be found near Dujmova?a where a 180 meter (590.5 ft) section stands 16.5 meters (54 feet) high. Not too shabby for a guy who lived out the remaining few years of his life gardening and growing vegetables.

Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct, Tunisia

(images via: Corbis and Corbis)

One of the longest aqueducts ever built anywhere in the Roman Empire marched across the arid plains of Tunisia, bringing life-giving water to the refounded city of Carthage. Some of the Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct‘s 132 km (82 mile) course has succumbed to the ravages of time, leaving only a line of pillars reminiscent of those at Stonehenge.

(image via: Corbis)

The Carthage of Hannibal lost a hard-fought, bitter war to the Roman Republic early in the second century BC that ended with the city being completely destroyed. It wasn’t long, however, before Rome realized the advantages of re-establishing Carthage as a Roman city and upon doing so, its population swelled to an estimated 500,000. Building the Zaghouan-Carthage Aqueduct was essential to provide the colonists with water for domestic and agricultural use.

Acueducto de los Milagros, Mérida, Spain

(images via: Fotopedia)

Of the three main aqueducts built by the Roman’s to supply the city of Emerita Augusta (Mérida, today) with water, Los Milagros (The Miracles) is the largest and best preserved. It is thought that the aqueduct was constructed in the 1st century AD with further work performed at the beginning of the 4th century AD.

(image via: Urbanity)

Los Milagros drew water from an artificial lake formed by the damming of several small rivers. The aqueduct itself utilized a double-arcade format and the stonework was mainly granite blocks interspersed with stripe-like layers or contrasting red brick. Only 38 of the aqueduct’s 25 meter (82 ft) high pillars remain but the ruins still evoke a powerful sense of ethereal beauty and wonder.

Pont du Gard, Nimes, France

(image via: Wallpaper Web)

Perhaps the most beautiful and most complete large Roman aqueduct is not found in Rome, nor the whole of Italy – it’s in the neighboring country of France. The ancient Roman Aqueduct of Le Pont du Gard is 2,000 years old (more or less; experts can’t agree) and was built to bring water to the Roman city of Nemausus (today’s Nîmes) from the Fontaines d’Eure springs near the town of Uzès.

(images via: Le Clus des Romarins, Travelpod and Globus Journeys)

What is known today as the Pont du Gard is actually only a portion of a much longer system of aqueducts stretching nearly 50 km (31 miles) in length. In its prime the aqueduct delivered as much as 20,000 cubic meters (5 million gallons) of water to the Castellum of Nemausus daily.

(image via: Real Daily Photo)

The Pont du Gard was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, and this worn relic of an ancient empire is more than deserving of the honor. You’ve got to hand it to the Romans: without the aid of computers, motors, electricity or even paper they managed to construct large-scale, precisely engineered “machines” that functioned perfectly precisely for centuries. Just like your Mom’s Buick… not.

(image via: Riding Brazil)

Outwardly lacy and delicate yet designed with inward strength, the survival of so many Roman aqueducts built up to 2,000 years ago – and in many cases, built without mortar to hold their stones together – seems almost miraculous. Not so much, really: the more you learn about the Romans, the more their profound skill, knowledge and insight can be appreciated. One wonders how many of OUR civilization’s monumental architectural works will still be around two thousand years hence.

Secrets of the Parthenon

If you have not seen PBS's rebroadcast of "Secrets of the Parthenon" you can watch it here. It is phenomenal. The Parthenon is the ultimate in humanism. All the parts are proportional to each other and all are derived from the proportions of the human body.

"Man is the Measure of All Things" 

-Protagoras (ca. 490-ca.420 BCE)

Get Bricked: 31 Incredible Examples of Lego Architecture

 By Delana in Architecture & Design, Gadgets & Geek Art

 I saw this and I couldn't resist sharing...
 

If there’s one toy that can transcend cultural, age and geographical barriers, it’s Lego. The timeless toy has been enjoyed by children all over the world and from all walks of life. But it’s not just a child’s toy – Lego is a full-time hobby for plenty of adults, too. These impressive works of Lego architecture were all created by people who have a healthy affection for the colorful building blocks.

Historic Moments

(images via: SF Weekly, MOC Pages)

Is there any better way to commemorate a special day than to build it in Lego? Here, two unforgettable moments in American history are recreated in plastic blocks for all to enjoy. At top, President Obama’s inaugural ceremony appeared at Legoland in Carlsbad, California. The scene featured thousands of tiny Lego people, including the president and his family, George W. Bush and his family, and a number of celebrities who were on hand to celebrate the occasion. Just below that is the touching recreation of the Miracle on the Hudson, or the day that pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger emergency-landed an airplane on the Hudson River. The large display was created by the Central Ohio Lego Train Club.

Famous Landmarks

(image via: Brick Artist)

Some landmarks are so well-loved that it just makes sense to recreate miniature models of them in Lego. These two from master Lego artist Nathan Sawaya are immediately recognizable: the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty, complete with her painstakingly-reproduced pedestal.

(images via: torgugick)

With the right pieces, a lot of patience and a fair amount of creativity, a skilled Lego builder can create just about any landmark imaginable. Here, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Arc de Triomphe and Roman Colosseum all come to life under the talented hands of one Lego master.

(images via: torgugick)

With some sculptures taking weeks or even months to finish, Lego artists have to keep their eyes on the end result: sculptures that redefine the relationship between toys and art. Certainly, no one could deny that these masterful sculptures are art, even though they are built with little plastic blocks. Above, the Great Wall of China, St. Louis Arch and St. Peter’s Basilica are rendered in delightful detail.

(images via: torgugick)

All of these sculptures, as well as the two sets above, are by Cleveland school teacher Arthur Gugick. He’s been building with Lego since the 1960s and has become something of a legend in the world of MOC (My Own Creation – a Lego term used to denote Lego sculptures not built from kits). He had to take on a part-time job to pay for his Lego addiction, but he brings endless joy to viewers at Lego conventions and his legions of Flickr followers.

Amazing Buildings

(images via: Space, Time & Reality, Guyonicholas, & Matija Grguric 1,2)

Some buildings manage to be nearly as impressive when built from Lego as they are in real life. At top are the Nakagin Capsule Tower, one of the first prefab modular modern buildings, and Shanghai’s Jin Mao Tower, which was once the tallest building in the People’s Republic of China. Just below that are two of Croatia’s most recognizable buildings: the Art Pavilion and Mestrovic Pavilion, both in Zagreb.

(images via: DecoJim)

People are often amazed at just how versatile and expressive Lego can be. Over the 70-some years that the bricks have been around, they’ve gone through few changes, but the company has made more and more variations in terms of colors, special pieces and licensed sets. These variations have allowed Lego sculptors to create some truly mind-blowing pieces of art. Of course, some of the most impressive pieces are those that depict real-life architecture. This set of Detroit buildings shows off one Lego builder’s love of the city’s unique and memorable architecture.

(images via: Holgermatthes and Marnoam82)

Of course, it’s no wonder that Lego is so often chosen to recreate the world’s greatest architecture. The blocks are, after all, the perfect shape for building and snap together so that creations are (mostly) stable. But building with Lego isn’t child’s play; to build a large structure takes a real understanding of building principles. Building without taking into account the weight and skew of the bricks will result in collapsed structures. Above, two magnificent recreations of some very recognizable buildings: the Church of Our Lady, Dresden and New York’s Flatiron Building.

(images via: Alex Fojtik)

Even the somewhat lesser-known structures of the world are honored with Lego likenesses. Here, Spain’s PS10 solar power tower is remade in whimsical style with Lego, complete with tiny “mirrors” arranged around the tower.

Re-Works of Master Architects

(images via: ie10421, holgermatthes, ToT-LUG, Matija Grguric)

Maybe if money and fame weren’t enough for them, famous architects could take Lego tributes like these as their confirmation that they’ve finally made it. The Robie House by Frank Lloyd Wright, a Le Corbusier house, the fabulous Eames House, and the Villa Savoye (also by Le Corbusier) have all been lovingly recreated from everyone’s favorite building block. One can be reasonably sure that when your works start appearing at Lego conventions, you’ve made quite a name for yourself in architecture.

Just What Is New Urbanism?

from New Urbanism

NEW URBANISM promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities. These contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. New Urbanism promotes the increased use of trains and light rail, instead of more highways and roads. Urban living is rapidly becoming the new hip and modern way to live for people of all ages. Currently, there are over 4,000 New Urbanist projects planned or under construction in the United States alone, half of which are in historic urban centers. "The building of cities is one of man's greatest achievements" -Edmund Bacon (Design of Cities)

NEW URBANISM is the most important planning movement this century, and is about creating a better future for us all. It is an international movement to reform the design of the built environment, and is about raising our quality of life and standard of living by creating better places to live. New Urbanism is the revival of our lost art of place-making, and is essentially a re-ordering of the built environment into the form of complete cities, towns, villages, and neighborhoods - the way communities have been built for centuries around the world. New Urbanism involves fixing and infilling cities, as well as the creation of compact new towns and villages.

THE PRINCIPLES OF NEW URBANISM The principles of New Urbanism can be applied increasingly to projects at the full range of scales from a single building to an entire community. 1. Walkability -Most things within a 10-minute walk of home and work -Pedestrian friendly street design (buildings close to street; porches, windows & doors; tree-lined streets; on street parking; hidden parking lots; garages in rear lane; narrow, slow speed streets) -Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases. 2. Connectivity -Interconnected street grid network disperses traffic & eases walking -A hierarchy of narrow streets, boulevards, and alleys -High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable 3. Mixed-Use & Diversity -A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes on site. Mixed-use within neighborhoods, within blocks, and within buildings -Diversity of people - of ages, income levels, cultures, and races 4. Mixed Housing A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity 5. Quality Architecture & Urban Design Emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place; Special placement of civic uses and sites within community. Human scale architecture & beautiful surroundings nourish the human spirit 6. Traditional Neighborhood Structure -Discernible center and edge -Public space at center -Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art -Contains a range of uses and densities within 10-minute walk -Transect planning: Highest densities at town center; progressively less dense towards the edge. The transect is an analytical system that conceptualizes mutually reinforcing elements, creating a series of specific natural habitats and/or urban lifestyle settings. The Transect integrates environmental methodology for habitat assessment with zoning methodology for community design. The professional boundary between the natural and man-made disappears, enabling environmentalists to assess the design of the human habitat and the urbanists to support the viability of nature. This urban-to-rural transect hierarchy has appropriate building and street types for each area along the continuum. The Transect

7. Increased Density -More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and resources, and to create a more convenient, enjoyable place to live. -New Urbanism design principles are applied at the full range of densities from small towns, to large cities. 8. Smart Transportation -A network of high-quality trains connecting cities, towns, and neighborhoods together -Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation. 9. Sustainability -Minimal environmental impact of development and its operations -Eco-friendly technologies, respect for ecology and value of natural systems -Energy efficiency -Less use of finite fuels -More local production -More walking, less driving 10. Quality of Life Taken together these add up to a high quality of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.          "The sum of human happiness increases because of New Urbanism" -Andres Duany

Capri, Italy

BENEFITS OF NEW URBANISM 1. BENEFITS TO RESIDENTS Higher quality of life; Better places to live, work, & play; Higher, more stable property values; Less traffic congestion & less driving; Healthier lifestyle with more walking, and less stress; Close proximity to main street retail & services; Close proximity to bike trails, parks, and nature; Pedestrian friendly communities offer more opportunities to get to know others in the neighborhood and town, resulting in meaningful relationships with more people, and a friendlier town; More freedom and independence to children, elderly, and the poor in being able to get to jobs, recreation, and services without the need for a car or someone to drive them; Great savings to residents and school boards in reduced busing costs from children being able to walk or bicycle to neighborhood schools; More diversity and smaller, unique shops and services with local owners who are involved in community; Big savings by driving less, and owning less cars; Less ugly, congested sprawl to deal with daily; Better sense of place and community identity with more unique architecture; More open space to enjoy that will remain open space; More efficient use of tax money with less spent on spread out utilities and roads. 2. BENEFITS TO BUSINESSES Increased sales due to more foot traffic & people spending less on cars and gas; More profits due to spending less on advertising and large signs; Better lifestyle by living above shop in live-work units - saves the stressful & costly commute; Economies of scale in marketing due to close proximity and cooperation with other local businesses; Smaller spaces promote small local business incubation; Lower rents due to smaller spaces & smaller parking lots; Healthier lifestyle due to more walking and being near healthier restaurants; More community involvement from being part of community and knowing residents. 3. BENEFITS TO DEVELOPERS More income potential from higher density mixed-use projects due to more leasable square footage, more sales per square foot, and higher property values and selling prices; Faster approvals in communities that have adopted smart growth principles resulting in cost / time savings; Cost savings in parking facilities in mixed-use properties due to sharing of spaces throughout the day and night, resulting in less duplication in providing parking; Less need for parking facilities due to mix of residences and commercial uses within walking distance of each other; Less impact on roads / traffic, which can result in lower impact fees; Lower cost of utilities due to compact nature of New Urbanist design; Greater acceptance by the public and less resistance from NIMBYS; Faster sell out due to greater acceptance by consumers from a wider product range resulting in wider market share. 4. BENEFITS TO MUNICIPALITIES Stable, appreciating tax base; Less spent per capita on infrastructure and utilities than typical suburban development due to compact, high-density nature of projects; Increased tax base due to more buildings packed into a tighter area; Less traffic congestion due to walkability of design; Less crime and less spent on policing due to the presence of more people day and night; Less resistance from community; Better overall community image and sense of place; Less incentive to sprawl when urban core area is desirable; Easy to install transit where it's not, and improve it where it is; Greater civic involvement of population leads to better governance WAYS TO IMPLEMENT NEW URBANISM The most effective way to implement New Urbanism is to plan for it, and write it into zoning and development codes. This directs all future development into this form. New Urbanism is best planned at all levels of development: -The single building -Groups of buildings -The urban block -The neighborhood -Networks of neighborhoods -Towns -Cities -Regions Increasingly, regional planning techniques are being used to control and shape growth into compact, high-density, mixed-use neighborhoods, villages, towns, and cities. Planning new train systems (instead of more roads) delivers the best results when designed in harmony with regional land planning - known as Transit Oriented Development (TOD). At the same time, the revitalization of urban areas directs and encourages infill development back into city centers. Planning for compact growth, rather than letting it sprawl out, has the potential to greatly increase the quality of the environment. It also prevents congestion problems and the environmental degradation normally associated with growth. OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME The most important obstacle to overcome is the restrictive and incorrect zoning codes currently in force in most municipalities. Current codes do not allow New Urbanism to be built, but do allow sprawl. Adopting a TND ordinance and/or a system of 'smart codes' allows New Urbanism to be built easily without having to rewrite existing codes. Download the latest SmartCode for free An equally important obstacle is the continuous road building and expansion taking place in every community across America. This encourages more driving and more sprawl which has a domino effect increasing traffic congestion across the region.  Halting road projects and building new train systems helps reverse this problematic trend.  Read more "Only when humans are again permitted to build authentic urbanism — those cities, towns, and villages that nurture us by their comforts and delights — will we cease the despoiling of Nature by escaping to sprawl" -Andres Duany

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever-growing insistence." -Daniel Burnham

Alys Beach - Beautifully New Urban

All-Around Town-Architects

Khoury & Vogt Architects are definitely putting their New Urbanist stamp on Alys Beach, formerly a parcel of virgin land in the Florida panhandle that is now a growing resort town.

from Traditional Building / by Gordon Bock

 

An elevated view of Alys Beach highlights not only its all-white masonry construction, but also the stepped and cement-slaked roofs borrowed from Bermuda that are repeated throughout the community as a unifying design element. Photo: Tommy Crow 

Many architects would be satisfied to build a pipeline of commissions and clients in not too far-flung locations, but when you get the chance to do all your work in the same community – and even put your own stamp on it from day one – that's a whole different design game. Yet that's just what the firm of Khoury & Vogt Architects was hired on to do when it took the job of town architect for the growing resort of Alys Beach. Based on the Florida coast near Pensacola, the office, which tops out around six people, has a whole zip code as its most important work-in-progress.

Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, AIA, CNU, and Eric Vogt, AIA, CNU: “DPZ gave us a building type that is both very rare and very appealing – a combination you usually don’t find.” Photo: Michael Granberry 

The title 'town architect' looks good on a business card or sign, but in terms of a practice, what exactly does it mean? Says principal Eric Vogt, AIA, "Traditionally, the job of town architect is to form an office, generally on-site, and oversee basically every aspect of the town's development – and that certainly applies to us." In this case, though, "every aspect" is truly the operative phrase because the town is excitingly different and totally new. "When we arrived, Alys Beach was pretty much virgin land," says principal Marieanne Khoury-Vogt, AIA, "and though there was a master plan and a vision, we were hired prior to the developer even getting his development order."

"We're really soup-to-nuts here," says Vogt. "We work on the larger scale of the town – refining the town center, block by block, and coming up with a vision of how it might look and be implemented, down to the smallest details of, say, choosing a plant palette suitable for a park area. It's very satisfying to find yourself responsible – in good ways and bad – for every detail of not just a building or landscape, but every single piece, from electrical transformers to roof pitches and chimneys." Adds Khoury-Vogt, "We oversee the work of other architects, landscape architects, and designers, as well as the implementation of infrastructure, roads and utilities, but we also produce our own work. Indeed, the very first building that broke ground was one of our designs, a sales center that was planned to eventually be converted into a house, so we've been involved from the very beginning."

One of the seminal New Urbanist design tenets put into practice at Alys Beach is to make the community totally walkable. Pedestrian and bike paths connect to all buildings, as well as the beach. Photo: Maura McEvoy

From Miami to Yankee and Back
As it happens, Khoury-Vogt and Vogt are partners in life as well as professionally. They met in Miami while working as architects for different firms; Vogt in particular spent a couple years with Duany Plater-Zyberk. After marrying, they relocated to New Haven, CT, where Vogt continued his studies at Yale and Khoury-Vogt spent time with Herbert Newman Architects, helping to renovate and restore campus buildings. "Once Eric was done with graduate school," says Khoury-Vogt, "we pretty much knew we wanted to start our own office, so we targeted Miami because it was a city with a lot of work and one we knew well." Back in Florida, they set up their own firm in August 2001 and though commissions were naturally small and modest in the beginning, they had the foundation of a solid practice when the developer of Alys Beach called.

Khoury-Vogt admits that the job of town architect sounded very attractive, but at first they weren't particularly interested in moving up to the Florida panhandle. "We had settled comfortably into Miami," she recalls, "and had started to put down roots and get some very nice clients, nonetheless we did go up and meet with the developer."

In the Palladio-award winning Lake Marilyn Bridge, Khoury & Vogt deftly extend the architectural language of the residential community to a striking piece of streetscape that not only blends landscape design of the lake and promenade, but enhances the idyllic ambiance through its reflection in the water. Photo: Kurt Lischka

It was Andrés Duany, principal at Duany Plater-Zyberk, the master planners for Alys Beach, who encouraged Khoury & Vogt to relocate their practice upstate and take the job as town architects for their New Urbanist resort community. "He convinced us that the town would offer very good design opportunities for us as architects," says Vogt. "Since you don't get many plum projects when you're starting out, we eventually agreed that it would be a great chance to jump-start our design work."

The Fonville Press building is another Palladio-winning Khoury & Vogt design that houses not only a bookstore but also a café restaurant. Photo: Maura McEvoy  

A Tabula Rasa of a Town
Right from the get-go it was clear that Alys Beach would be no ordinary town. To begin with, town founder Jason Comer was not a traditional real estate developer, and his family happened to own a rare, consolidated, 160-acre parcel of land along the Gulf Coast. Next, the developer had hired not your average architects but DPZ – the firm who took New Urbanism from theory to reality with the much lauded community of Seaside, FL, as well as its nearby sister community, Rosemary Beach. In the vision of Andrés Duany, Alys Beach would be the third generation of "a distinctive beach town designed and founded upon the principles of New Urbanism."

The courtyard plan that defines the housing at Alys Beach effectively creates outdoor rooms. These may be loggias partially sheltered by the surrounding structure, or shared with adjacent houses and often incorporating pools. Photo: Tommy Crow  

As Vogt explains it, what distinguishes Alys Beach as New Urbanist is the way in which it is planned "truly as a town in the traditional sense" with a mix of uses, completely walkable, and built in an architectural style that contributes to a coherent and harmonious urban whole in terms of the street. Adds Khoury-Vogt, "As master planned by DPZ, there is a town center that will have a variety of different building types – live-work, mixed-use buildings, primarily commercial/retail on the first floor, and residential above. It's a beautiful site, and when all is said and done it will probably be 800 to 900 units – a combination of single-family homes and condos, yet all built around the concept of a walkable, pedestrian-friendly environment."

Adds Vogt, "The master plan made by DPZ establishes all this, but the design code is what guides the build-out. And what guides the design code is our office and all of our many collaborators – both on our team, as well as the outside designers who are contributing to the building-out of the town."

 Though individual houses are not architecturally outstanding – just white with dark accents and a defining detail or two – when collected as a streetscape they create an ensemble that is varied and interesting, yet coherent and not overpowering. Photo: Kurt Lischka

What really sets the unique character of Alys Beach is the form and construction of the houses – as unexpected in their form and simplicity as they are hauntingly familiar – dreamlike is a word often used. "In terms of typology, it's courtyard housing – the patio house," says Khoury-Vogt. "Though the precedent is from Antigua, Guatemala, it's inspired by Bermuda, so it's an all-white architecture, 90 percent of which is masonry, making it both sculptural and beautiful."

One of the first structures to break ground, this sales center designed by Khoury & Vogt, gets its exotic-yet-inviting appearance through the careful combination of eclectic features, such as multiple window shapes. Photo: Jack Gardner 

 From this description alone, it's apparent Alys Beach is not yet another spin on the neo-vernacular 'cracker house' – that low, backcountry, frame dwelling with a shallow roof and ample porch that became the poster child for indigenous Florida architecture by the 1990s. "Actually, it's intentionally quite the opposite," says Vogt. "After seeing examples of new wood cracker neighborhoods that started to get a bit frenetic, because they came from the hands of talented architects who got a little competitive, DPZ sought to establish a residential language that would remain quieter in an urban setting."

The residential models for Alys Beach are found in Antigua, Guatemala and Bermuda. Clearly in the Bermudian mode, this freestanding house is built not only low and strong like the island vernacular but also with the short eaves that avoid storm wind lift. Photo: Tommy Crow 

Duany in particular had long admired the island architecture of Bermuda and had been waiting for the right occasion to revisit it. "It's a very simple but coherent vernacular that is just stuccoed walls with tiled and cement-slaked roofs," explains Khoury-Vogt. "So you have these very simple, almost Monopoly-like houses that might appear very staid – even boring – by themselves, but are actually very pleasing when combined on an urban street because each building is not trying to outdo its neighbor."

Another primary driver of the design is the masonry construction. While frame houses have done very well on the Gulf Coast, building more durably for aggressive hurricanes, as well as the day-to-day wear of the marine environment, made a lot of sense. "It's concrete block with basically every cell filled, then it's reinforced beyond the requirements of the Florida building code, which is already pretty rigorous," Khoury-Vogt adds.
Alys Beach is also built to the Fortified Building Guidelines, which mandates impact-resistant doors and windows. "Since the architectural model is Bermuda," adds Khoury-Vogt, "we have to have pretty shallow eaves – also good against uplift in hurricanes." Since building with masonry has some very real added costs, part of Khoury & Vogt's initial job was to persuade the client base that it's worth the up-front investment, but that logic has been easier to demonstrate as time goes on.

Khoury & Vogt won one of its three Palladio Awards for the design of the Caliza Pool, a complex with a 47,300 sq.ft. footprint. Photo: Jack Gardner   

"All of these things are absolutely traditional elements," says Vogt, "We are inventing nothing here." Rather, he adds, they are taking elements and ideas that have been in various warm-weather cultures – Spain, Italy, the Middle East – for thousands of years and redeploying them. "Like a cuisine, you're recombining ingredients in ways that have not been done before, but you're certainly not inventing any new food."

Like many resort communities along the Gulf Coast, Alys Beach is a magnet for the towns of the South – Atlanta, Birmingham, over to Texas, and even up to Nashville, TN, and the Carolinas. As Vogt explains, they attract people who are generally traditional in taste, but used to Southern architecture in the Classical and Georgian vein. "While there was some initial trepidation about Alys Beach, and we worried that the market might be a little wary of this housing type, all our fears were unfounded." According to the architects, Alys Beach resonates with people as something that is both engagingly new and yet familiar at a hard-to-define level. "We get comments like, 'It's not quite like a place we once visited in Italy, but it reminds me of it in a good way.'"

Depending upon your point of view, designing a town from scratch may seem the ideal way to head off problems or, if you're a pessimist, invite them, but Khoury & Vogt sees it all as an amazing process with benefits in every challenge. For example, Khoury-Vogt notes, "We have been able to forge relationships with millwork companies that help us provide a library of windows and doors that we think are well-suited to the houses that are being designed."

 

 An even bigger asset though has been coming onboard as the town architect right from the ground-breaking – and at that same time the construction company was hired. Explains Khoury-Vogt, "It's been an incredible advantage to work hand-in-hand with the construction company over the last seven years – not only to further refine the architectural model, but also to look at ways that we can be smarter with building materials and the choices that we make."

Vogt is struck by the way they have to keep equal tabs on the larger strategic mission as well as the smallest details. "Since we're still early in the project, we continue to wrestle with what we call global decisions. We may have to select one tiny element of the environment – a lamppost or a paver – but it's a global decision because, whatever the choice, it's going to have to be implemented over a generation of buildings."
Since these global decisions are fraught with a lot of weight, Khoury & Vogt says they've learned the value of pushing them off as far as is practical into the future. This buys time to obtain the maximum amount of information and have other details in place before making a decision. They also try to get input from everyone on the team, and test many different options for a decision, until they're comfortable with a choice. "We're very happy to say we haven't made any global decisions that we'd like to rethink, because it would be very costly and time-consuming to have to change course on any one of them – even though what we're selecting may be very mundane."

Indeed, seven years after arriving at the patch of untouched coast that was to be Alys Beach, Khoury & Vogt clearly would do it all over again, noting "We've learned a tremendous amount, are very grateful to our town founder Jason Comer, and our regrets are less-than-zero." TB

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Gordon Bock is a writer, architectural historian, and technical consultant whose upcoming courses and most popular workshops can be seen at www.bocktalk.com.